Red Wings News

By the Numbers Prospects: Mattias Elfstrom

Big forward scored goal for Team Howe in development camp scrimmage

By the Numbers will highlight the on-ice accomplishments in the 2017-18 season for the Detroit Red Wings' prospects. Twice a week during the offseason, By the Numbers will profile a different player in the system, focusing on his statistical highs. This week we focus on forward Mattias Elfstrom.

There's a reason that teams take players in the seventh round of the draft.

Sometimes that reason is just that those players are going to need a little more time to develop to see if they'll eventually be ready for the NHL.

The Detroit Red Wings took Mattias Elfstrom in the seventh round in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Elfstrom participated in last month's development camp at the BELFOR Training Center at Little Caesars Arena and scored a goal for Team Howe in the second period of the scrimmage.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound wing certainly has the size that would be a desirable asset but Elfstrom needs to take significant steps forward this coming season before he is ready to think about coming to play in North America.

49 -- It was a long first full season for Elfstrom playing in Sweden's second highest pro league, Allsvenskan. He skated in 49 games for Vasterviks IK after playing in 22 for IK Pantern in 2016-17.

5 -- Elfstrom scored five goals for Vasterviks IK, which was 12th on the team. Patrik Blomberg led the way with 15 goals. Oskar Drugge and Kalle Ostman also had five goals apiece.

4 -- The lanky forward also had four assists for Vasterviks IK. Two other players, Lukas Lofquist and Oskar Svanlund, also had four assists.

9 -- Elfstrom ranked 14th on Vasterviks IK with nine points. Blomberg led the team with 32 points.

8 -- Vasterviks IK did make the playoffs and Elfstrom skated in eight of their 10 playoff games.

3 -- Elfstrom was actually a little more productive in the postseason than in the regular season, recording three points - a goal and two assists - in his eight playoff appearances. That was 10th on the team. Jorgen Karterud and Marcus Lindblom also each had three points in the playoffs.

197 -- The Red Wings selected Elfstrom in the seventh round, 197th overall, in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. That year they took defenseman Dennis Cholowski with their first-round pick, 20th overall.

Quotable: "Mattias didn't have his best season last year but, to his credit, realized that and has refocused this summer. He's been putting in the work to make sure that's not the case this year. I'm looking forward to seeing his development next season." - Shawn Horcoff, Red Wings director of player development